Temple Prep Resources

***Note: the links in the first half of this post are not working, and I will have to come back later to fix them. The link to my temple prep document should work.

I don’t mean to bombard you with “churchy” posts. I’ve written two very close together recently, and now here’s a third. I was going to hold off on publishing this one for a while so you could have a breather, but I’ve been working on it for over two months, so now that it’s ready, I don’t want to let it sit any longer!

Nicky went through the temple back in June to receive his endowment. This is an occasion in which Nicky made some covenants or promises to God prior to serving his mission and began wearing the sacred temple garment.      

It was really important to me that Nicky felt prepared, so during the weeks leading up to him going to the temple, I brushed up on my knowledge of the temple - its purposes, the ordinances we participate in there, the teachings and symbolism, and the covenants we make. I studied conference talks and Church magazines, instructions from the General Handbook, and details from the Church website about temples. I gave Nicky a copy of The Holy Covenants by Anthony Sweat.

I read the book first and marked some passages that stood out to me. That way, if he didn't read it from cover to cover, he could at least be aware of some of the highlights. I did my best to have conversations with Nicky about the temple and provide him with resources to answer his questions. 

I put together a document with some of the information I thought would be helpful in preparing Nicky for the temple. I did my best to teach Nicky what I could, but a lot of the work needed to be his own choosing, so I provided him with some good resources and then stepped back and let him do with it what he wanted.

Since I worked kind of hard to compile the information, I wanted to share it on my blog for anyone who might want it. You can access the document here. If you are helping a child prepare for the temple, or if you just want to review some of the information pertaining to the temple for your own purposes, feel free to check it out. Hopefully you will find it helpful.

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It had been a while since I studied the temple in such depth. During this recent course of study, I was particularly drawn to the purposes and blessings of the temple garment.

Purposes of the holy garment:

• To symbolize righteousness and purity
• To help us understand and remember the covenants we have made
• To symbolize the Atonement as we "put on Christ"
• To invite Christ's power and influence into our lives

Blessings of wearing the garment:

• Increases our desire to be like Christ
• Power to love and serve more completely
• Power to resist temptation
• Ability to withstand the world's confounding voices

(source)

With the current trends and the way garments are discussed in social media, I had forgotten how much I truly love being able to wear my garments. When I went through the temple at age 19, I tried to learn everything I could about the temple and be as prepared as possible to take that step. I was really excited to start wearing garments. I remember walking around LDS Business College (now Ensign College) the day after I went through the temple thinking, "I'm wearing garments now, and no one here even knows!" I felt like a new person, and I wanted to announce it to everyone. I've lost a little bit of that enthusiasm over the past 22 years, but I've been reminded lately that it's an honor and blessing to wear temple garments, and I worked hard to be able to wear them, so I'm going to work it! I always love the way it feels to put them back on after exercising or going swimming. I always enjoy getting new garments - so fresh and so white! But I also like it when they're a little worn and dingy because it shows they've been lived in and well-used. I'm grateful for this feeling of renewal because I realized that I was beginning to be persuaded by outer voices to feel critical or causal about the garments, and that's not my truth. My truth is I feel blessed through wearing my garments, and I don't want to forget that.

“I like to think of the garment as the Lord’s way of letting us take part of the temple with us when we leave. It is true that we carry from the Lord’s house inspired teachings and sacred covenants written in our minds and hearts. However, the one tangible remembrance we carry with us back into the world is the garment. And though we cannot always be in the temple, a part of it can always be with us to bless our lives."

-Elder Carlos A. Asay

Things I Didn’t Buy From the Thrift Store: A Photo Essay

This lovely set of witches that look like they’ve had their faces smashed in:

A brown denim inspired set of kitchenware that was much more elaborate than what you see here: 

Seriously, it had everything from plates to mugs to a gravy boat. And some of the pieces had names on them! 

This splendid piece of pottery: 

Is it Rafiki? No really, tell me. Is it? 

Tampons: 

They had so many tampons. So many. 

My kitchen table:

It’s always trippy to see your own stuff for sale at the thrift store. They wanted sixty bucks for that thing! I wanted to talk to a manager and say, “Um, I owned that, and it should not be $60!”

This floral couch:

I actually love old couches like these so much and might someday drag one home . Scotty will be thrilled. 

This ceramic kangaroo? Bunny? Rat? Mystery animal:

I love that it matches the couch. They should sell them in a set. Yellow couch + yellow creature. 

This ceramic bison: 

I almost bought it to put in someone’s yard, but I got distracted and forgot about it. 

A camel candle: 

I regret not buying this one. Someone out there would have loved this with a “Happy Hump Day” card. Lost opportunity. Frankly, I’m embarrassed. 

A toilet brush holder: 

I didn’t realize it was a toilet brush holder until

I’d already held it. Ew. But also, I’m not a germaphobe, so whatever. My hands are washable. 

A toilet timer: 

 

I almost got it for Scotty. He could benefit from a limit. 

This baby doll: 

It had some excellent teeth marks in it. 

This photo: 

A Best Mom Ever mug: 

You can’t tell from the photo, but the wording is totally off center. Like my soul. 

This book based on the Weirdest Movie of All Time: 

 

Please tell me you watched this as a child. 

And last of all, a book about how to make your husband not lazy (written by a man): 

Ten Percent

In trying to get reacquainted with my testimony, I've reflected on some of the most solid parts of my belief. I often ponder: What tenets do I hold on to? Where am I firm?

One principle I have a strong testimony of is the law of tithing. The law of tithing does not originate from my church. It comes from the Bible and was practiced anciently. Like all God's commandments, tithing is voluntary. The money is used to build churches and temples, support missionaries, provide education, and more. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we are asked to give 1/10 of our income back to God through the Church. The very description of tithing might sound ludicrous. Why would anyone give 10% of their earnings to the Church? It sounds like a con. I see it. But I'm not going to spend time addressing that. I'd rather focus on why it works for me. 

Many years ago, we listened to the CDs from Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. As Dave taught some of his methods to pay off debt, live within your means, and build wealth, one of the first things he mentioned was giving back. I was surprised to hear that a financial expert advised his listeners to give 10% of their income away in some manner that is meaningful to them.  The reason for this is people are happier when they are giving, they are more grateful for what they have, and for some reason, what goes around comes around. 

Thus, my 10% goes to tithing (though we give in other ways too). We are promised that through our tithes the windows of heaven will pour out abundant blessings (see Malachi 3:10). The scriptures promise blessings for paying tithing. The prophets promise blessings for paying tithing. My personal, patriarchal blessing offers blessings for paying tithing. 

I started paying tithing as a child, but I struggled to be consistent, and I often fell behind. In my teen years, I made a New Year's resolution to pay a full tithe, and I followed through. I have been a full tithe payer ever since (meaning I have given 10% of my income annually to God through the Church since I was about 16 years old). 

For a while, it was hard to pay tithing and take care of my other expenses. I’ve found that when I pay tithing first - immediately upon getting my pay check - my other financial needs tend to fall into place. If I postpone tithing, it becomes harder to make the contribution, so I always pay tithing first thing. I’m so used to it that it doesn’t really faze me to see that money go, but occasionally during a tight financial month, I’ll think, “Gosh, it would be nice to keep this money!” And of course, when I look at the numbers and see how much money is going toward tithing, I think, “Yikes! We could do so much with that money!” But I can’t deny that I’ve been blessed for paying tithing. 

When we were newlyweds and young parents, our income did not add up on paper. We made it a priority to keep paying our tithing, and even though we didn’t have enough money… we had enough money. Somehow our budget worked even when the math didn’t. There have been times when money has been particularly tight, but we’ve always had what we needed. 

I’ve had so many times when we’ve received something we needed, and I’ve felt the Spirit inform me that we were being blessed for paying our tithing. One experience I remember was when Nicky was a toddler and he desperately needed new church shoes. It was really bad timing for our budget, and I was stressed about spending the money. As I was driving to Walmart to try and find some cheap shoes, I had a sudden, strong feeling that I should go to the DI instead. I rerouted and went to the thrift store and found a pair of nearly new shoes in Nicky’s exact size for $3. Things like this have happened to me so many times. Occasionally it’s just lucky, but other times, I feel like there’s a distinct blessing being given. The thrift store has provided so much for us! Sometimes I walk in with a feeling that what I need is there, and lo and behold, I find it. We’ve had times where an appliance has broken and we’ve been offered a replacement from someone else who just happened to be getting rid of one (without them even knowing we needed one!) I’ve had coupons or gift cards show up and offers of food and hand me downs with perfect timing.  

When I got the prompting that it was time to go back to school and get my bachelors degree, I was worried about how we would pay for it. I was overcome with a feeling of peace and the thought, “You don’t need to worry about it. It will be taken care of.” And it all worked out.

I’m sure not all of our blessings for paying tithing have come in monetary ways. I always joke that I wish I could have a printed receipt that shows why I was blessed and what I was blessed with that includes a 90-day return policy. But that’s not how blessings work, and that’s not how faith works. So even though I don’t know all of the blessings that we’ve been granted for living the law of tithing, I have faith that they are abundant. 

We aren’t rich by the world’s standards, but I feel rich because I have enough. Sometimes, I even have a little extra. I’m always grateful for the extra, but I’m equally grateful for when we’ve had just enough. 

Some might argue that it’s coincidence or good karma, but I really believe that we’ve been blessed in specific ways for paying tithing. Even though it adds up to a lot of money, I don’t feel like we’d be better off keeping and spending the money. The compensatory blessings aren’t always identifiable, but I wouldn’t want to forgo them. I know they’re there. So I have a testimony of the law of tithing. I’ve lived it, and I stand by it. I can’t deny that there’s something to it!

School’s Back In (and ten other random facts)

Fact #1: Papa Murphy’s got rid of their classic cheese bread. This might not be news to you because apparently it happened a year or more ago. But for me? Who hasn't had Papa Murphy's for quite a while? This is new and devastating information. 

I don't understand. 

Fact#2: My kids didn’t read at all this summer. I had such good intentions. I was going to reward them for reading. I was going to read to them. We were going to start the year on benchmark (my kids are behind in reading). 

And yet... 

Fact #3: Nicky is supposed to head to Puerto Rico tomorrow, but Tropical Storm Erin is a-brewing. I’m interested to see if his travel is affected. I’m not at all worried about it in terms of Nicky’s safety (should I be?)

Update: the plane made it to Puerto Rico, so as long as Nicky was on it, he’s there now! (He does not currently have a phone. He will be issued one in PR now that he’s there. We are excited to hear from him, but we have no idea when that will be. In the meantime, I continue to not feel worried about him. Curious… but not worried).

Fact #4: A few things I don’t like about the school year:

Friend drama

Managing children’s anxiety and daily breakdowns

Keeping up on school communication (especially during years when I have three schools to keep track of)

School dances

Drop off and pick up traffic

Not being able to go to work at 5 a.m.

Fact #5: A few things I like about the school year:

Built-in friend encounters, reading, and exercise

Having a schedule and a routine and not so much downtime

A bit more alone time for me - even just a little time in the car between drop offs and pick ups is so nice

Being able to start and finish a small task without interruptions every two minutes

Going to the store without my kids

After school activities that keep the kids busy

The weather starts to cool down (but gosh darn it, not for a while still - it was so hot today!)

Fewer messes around the house (in theory)

Fact #6: First day photos:

Eva - 5th

Zoe - 7th

Daisy - 10th

Fact #7: Last weekend Scotty and I went camping all by ourselves! I don’t think we’ve ever been camping, just the two of us. It was amazing. All we did was play games, take naps, eat food, and go back and forth from the outhouse. 

It was exactly what we needed. 

This is the only photo I took:

Fact #8: I don’t understand why people don’t take their photos out of their picture frames before donating them to the thrift store.

Fact #9: I fell asleep while writing this blog post… two nights in a row

Fact #10: How I celebrated the first day of school:

Scrubbed my shower

Shampooed the living room couch

Went to the thrift store (bought some books and a shirt for Zoe)

Picked up my prescription eye drops (that don’t help)

Went to the car wash

Met Christie at Cafe Rio for lunch and talked for 2.5 hours. Almost died on a shifty Cafe Rio toilet seat.

Back to School

My kids go back to school tomorrow. School seems to start earlier and earlier each year. August 13 is the record thus far. I don’t really care - in fact I think I like it… other than winter break being 18 days long… 

18 days!!!!

My girls went to bed tonight awash with anxiety and nerves. Well, Daisy and Zoe, at least. I think Eva’s okay. She’s in her last year of elementary school, and she has a ton of friends and one of our favorite teachers, so she’s going to be just fine. Those other two, though… I love the school year, but I hate dealing with their anxiety. Daisy gets insecure, irritable, critical, and physically ill. Zoe gets whiney and irrational. I have to try and stay calm, empathetic, and reasonable when all I want to do is scream.

So that’s fun.

But anyway… yesterday and today we have been busy getting ready for school and enjoying our last few moments of summer. I made daily checklists for everyone, organized Eva’s room so she can start off on a tidy note, and made a list of home lunch ideas. I went over everyone’s class schedules, made them pack their backpacks, and had them choose their first day outfits. We did priesthood blessings and went over a few rules and expectations for the school year (for Zoe it was like the world was ending when I told her she can’t watch any TV until her afternoon checklist is done. Heaven forbid you complete 7 minutes of responsible tasks before you turn on Gravity Falls!)

On Sunday our kids participated in their grandma’s annual back to school fashion show. The kids do this every year - they strut the red carpet in a few new school outfits, and then Grandma gives everyone a bag of school supplies and a book. 

Then last night we had our traditional back to school dinner. Every year is a little different. Sometimes I do a theme, sometimes I don’t. This year I did a theme, “If you can’t find the sunshine, be the sunshine.” I decorated with sunflowers (everything of which I already had) and then I gave each of my girls a sunflower pencil pouch with a bracelet, a pen, and a pack of sticky notes inside (all with sunflowers) and then a pair of sunflower socks. We ate BLTs, tater tots, and mixed fruit made from all the random fruit in our fridge that needed to be used up. Then I made Daisy bake us some brownies for dessert. 

I made that pennant banner about five years ago, and it’s still going strong! I got the sunflower garland on clearance at Hobby Lobby last year.

Sunflowers from my garden

Zoe

Eva and Daisy

(Eva happened to wear a sunflower shirt that day, completely unplanned)

(I always love when I’m able to use things I already have).

Today was a whirlwind. I went to the junior high for a few hours with Zoe for her orientation. Then I had to get Daisy to the high school to help her theatre teacher do some work on her classroom. I came home, watered the garden, and then got everyone ready for an outing. My mom picked up Daisy and then came and got the rest of us, and we went to lunch and to get pedicures. Nicky called unexpectedly while we were out and about. Today was his last day in the MTC. He had to turn his phone in at 4:00 pm and will be issued another one when he gets settled in Puerto Rico, so he was able to call home. 

After lunch, we had our pedicures. Now everyone has nicely polished toes for school (in an era where they refuse to let anyone see their “dawgs” - why is everything so weird and pervy nowadays?) 

 Zoe has some sensory struggles, so she wasn’t the most pedicure-friendly child, but she likes the way her toes turned out. The lady doing the pedicure just kind of gave up on her. 

My mom and Daisy

After our pedicures we came home, got some stuff done around the house, and ate dinner. Then we went to see Freakier Friday for our last hurrah before school. 

Tomorrow begins a new school year and a new routine. I have kids in three schools again (last year I got a break and only had two schools). Pray with me that Daisy passes her driver’s test the first go round and feels confident enough to drive herself to school starting mid-September. That will help me maintain my sanity (I say that as if I have any left!)

Here’s to the 2025-26 school year! 

Finding my Way

Lately I've been working on my testimony. Over the past few years, I've found myself in a spiritual slump (especially for the past year), and I feel like I've been hanging on to my faith by a thread. I don't like to talk about it, so I'm not going to dive to deeply into the specifics here. I haven't really opened up to anyone about it - just a few casual and vague mentions to my husband and closest friends. But even to them I haven't confided the depth of the spiritual numbness I've been feeling and the loss of belief I've experienced. 

Throughout my life, and especially lately, I've had a lot of "Heavenly Father, are you really there?" moments. I've realized something about myself, and that is, whenever I start to feel like God isn't real, my first inclination is to ask Heavenly Father - and whilst possibly no longer believing in Him, I expect Him to answer... which means I believe in Him. 

I am definitely a confused little Daughter. 

Daffodils at the Salt Lake Temple

(Not a recent photo as the SL Temple is currently under construction)

There are a few recurring thoughts I have that have helped buoy me up during times of spiritual challenges.

One of them is: what to I want to be true? Turns out, I want there to be a God. If there isn't a God (and I can also say the same of a Savior), I don't know what the point is of anything. 

Another is: what is my life like when I'm living the gospel (and believing) compared to when I'm not? I can't deny that my life is better when I am living the principles taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.* Once I acknowledge that fact, I then ask myself, "What if it's all fake? What if it's all a creation of my own mind?" I don't want to be deceived! I don't want to invest my agency in something that might be counterfeit. I don't want to claim and act on personal revelation if it's a delusion of my own powerful mind. Yet, I've had experiences that have made me realize that even if it's not real, some of the things I've felt as a believer are things I want to feel always. And if those feelings are counterfeit, maybe I don't care because I've felt a sacred happiness and an absence of fear as a result of believing in God, and if I can have that feeling with me all the time, I don't care if it's counterfeit. 

Geranium at the Vernal Temple

Which leads me to another thought I often have... if I spend my mortality believing in God, and there isn't a God, I never have to know I was wrong. Because if there isn't a God, dead is dead. I'll pass away someday, cease to exist, and never know God wasn't real. But if there is a God, and I spend my mortality as if there isn't, I'll have to find out someday that I was wrong. Because if there is a God, dead is not dead. If there is a God, there is going to be something after this life. So in both scenarios, it's of benefit to assume there is a God. 

Now, back to the idea of personal revelation. Like I said, I don't want to experience something counterfeit. When we speak of personal revelation in my church, we are speaking of guidance and direction that comes from our Heavenly Father through the holy spirit. It can come through many different channels - through written or spoken word, through music, through thoughts and feelings, and other unique and individualized ways. Personal revelation can help us understand gospel teachings or make decisions in our everyday lives. It can land us in the right place at the right time to experience something that is too orchestrated to be merely coincidence. Personal revelation can provide us with a personalized curriculum for what we need to learn at certain times in our lives. It can even be completely unnoticed until later when hindsight reveals we were actually being led to a certain path for a reason. 

I love personal revelation. And while I worry over what might really come from God and what might be the creation of my own mind, I find that I always thrive when I feel like I'm being guided. I always apply the litmus test of Moroni 7:16 - "Everything which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ... is of God." When things fall into place, and hindsight allows me to see how I have been led and guided, I always feel overwhelmed with happiness and gratitude. And I always want to tell everyone! Guess what, guys! I had personal revelation! And I followed it! And the outcome was so amazing, I can't wait for it to happen again!

Through personal revelation, I was recently led to some answers that I needed. I won't give you the unabridged version because this post is already getting long, but some things I needed to be reminded of recently are:

1. People can leave the church and come back. It does happen. I needed to see some examples of this. 

2. We don't get to have firm answers and explanations for everything. If we had that, we wouldn't need to have faith, and faith is kind of the point.

3. I need to read the Book of Mormon everyday. I've been studying some of the promises we have been given for reading the Book of Mormon. Some of the ones that are of particular interest and importance to me are:**

- The Book of Mormon will illuminate the teachings of the master and expose the tactics of the adversary 

I am feeling a very heavy increase of false information being put out in the world, particularly through social media and with the growing prominence of AI. As I stated earlier in this post, I do not want to be deceived! I feel like it's growing ever more important to have the spirit of discernment. 

- The Book of Mormon will heal, comfort, restore, succor, strengthen, console, and cheer our souls.

I'll take it! I'll take it all!

-The Book of Mormon will help you make better decisions everyday.

Okay. I'm in.

- The Book of Mormon will help you receive answers to your questions and direction for your life.

Good. Because I have questions. 

- The Book of Mormon can immunize you against the evils of the world, including addiction.

- The Book of Mormon can put you in a position to hear the voice of the Spirit, resist temptation, overcome doubt and fear, and receive heaven's help in your life. 

There are a lot more, but these are some of the highlights. 

I confess, as my faith has been challenged, I've forgotten about the Book of Mormon. I didn't forget that it exists, but I forgot about the promises. I haven't been reading it (or hadn't. My focus for August has been to read it everyday). In fact, I would venture to say that I developed a blind spot for it (definitely one of those tactics of the adversary mentioned above). I also haven't been praying regularly. For about two years, I've really struggled with prayer. It's almost like I lost the ability. Like my brain can't do it. I'm trying to get back into the habit, but it's like trying to run and having my legs collapse under me every time. I have legs, and I know what they're supposed to do, but when I try to use them, they don't work. And it doesn't make sense because legs should just work. It should be easy. I should be able to pray. It shouldn't be that hard!

So I'm working on it. I'm working on a little bit of everything. And I'm seeing some growth, so I'm really happy about that. I know that some of it is from Nicky serving a mission. I've felt a rapid increase in my progress since Nicky left. I have felt the Spirit with more frequency, and I feel a bit of my old self coming back. Honestly, I feel more like myself when I am doing well spiritually. Here's to moving forward! I'm hoping for great things. 

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*The values and principles taught by my church are similar to those taught by many churches, so any mention of my church is not to imply that my church is "better than" or "more righteous than" other churches. I mention my church because my exploration of the existence of God brings into question the validity of my church (or any "organized" religion) since it's the channel by which I learn about heavenly matters. To question the existence of God, I also have to question the means by which I get to know Him, and I have always done that with my church as my guide. 

**Sources: 

The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life be Like Without It?

The Power of the Book of Mormon

A Testimony of the Book of Mormon

Missions Then and Missions Now

Since I now have a child serving a mission, I am very “mission-minded,” as in, always talking about and thinking about the mission. 

In some ways, this ain’t my first rodeo. Scotty and I dated for two years before he went on his mission, and I stuck around long enough to marry him when he got back. Even though it’s a little different to send your kid instead of your boyfriend on a mission, I still supported a missionary for two years and was very involved in the mission experience. Scotty was in the field from August of 2000 until August of 2002 in South Carolina. 

Some of the differences between Scotty’s mission and Nicky’s are:

- Scotty went state-side and spoke English. Nicky is going to Puerto Rico and learning Spanish.

- Scotty went to the Provo MTC for two weeks. Nicky is in the Mexico MTC for five.

- There was no such thing as “home MTC” when Scotty served. Nicky did “home MTC” for the first ten days.

- When we took Scotty to the MTC, we all went inside and sat through a little presentation, then we bid him farewell, and he had to shuffle through a door with all the other missionaries. We didn’t take Nicky to the MTC. Instead he went straight to the airport (if we had taken him to the Provo MTC, they now do curb drop off and you don’t go inside).

- We met Scotty at the airport when he flew out to South Carolina, and back then, you could go to the terminal with them. But by the time he came home, that was no longer allowed because September 11 happened a year into his mission (in fact, it was on the anniversary of his arrival in South Carolina - he got there on September 11, 2000). When we took Nicky to the airport, we saw him to the security line, and then he was on his own!

Scotty leaving for SC 9/11/00

Nicky leaving for Mexico City 7/10/25

- Scotty had to have a suit for his mission. Nicky does not (it’s uncommon for a mission to not require suits - Nicky said you can tell who’s going to Puerto Rico in the MTC because they are the only missionaries without suits. Some of the PR missionaries still opted to bring a suit, but it is not required).

- Scotty’s mission communication consisted of letters and two phone calls a year - Mother’s Day and Christmas (he was also allowed to call home on September 11. All the missionaries were allowed to check in with their families). Nicky gets to call home once a week and can send emails and messages through Messenger. 

- Scotty was only allowed to go to the temple one time on his mission - the week before he came home. Nicky has gone every week!

Columbia, South Carolina Temple

Mexico City Temple

Things we didn’t have when Scotty served that now make missions more convenient:

-Amazon (or any online shopping)

-Cell phones (they existed but weren’t the norm)

-WiFi

-Social media (MySpace started shortly after Scotty’s mission)

A lot has changed in the 25 years since Scotty left on his mission, but there have been some funny commonalities between Scotty’s and Nicky’s missions, too. For example, Scotty’s first companion in South Carolina was Elder Matthews. Nicky’s first companion is… Elder Matthews.

And both Scotty and Nicky apparently have the urge to climb inside the dryer. We laughed so hard when Nicky’s dryer photo popped up on google photos because Nicky didn’t even know we had a photo of Scotty doing the exact same thing on his mission. 

Nicky really is so much like his dad! I’m going to get a kick out of watching him get older and act more and more like Scotty in all the ways that he currently makes fun of (I make fun of him, too. Scotty really is quite a character).

Some fun tidbits about Nicky’s mission so far:

- Nicky is among the first wave of recent high school graduates at the MTC, so when he got there, he said there was a bit of difference in age/maturity between the missionaries that were about to leave (they were older missionaries that had attended some college before serving) and the new ones. Now that he’s almost done (he only has five more days!) he said they’ve turned over to mostly young missionaries that just finished high school.

- Nicky’s group got in trouble for playing hacky sack. It’s not allowed at the MTC. You know what’s also not allowed at the MTC? Face cards (technically they aren’t supposed to bring any games or hobby-esque items) and yet, somehow they’re playing poker on the regular and administering “punishments” to the losers.

- Nicky’s casa is the only one without surveillance cameras (of course my son made note of this).

- Nicky’s best friend, Jackson, arrived yesterday at the Mexico MTC. As of late last night, Nicky hadn’t found him yet, but he was looking for him during every break from class.

- The Mexico MTC can house 1,000 missionaries. Provo is 3,700. Both are nearly at capacity right now! 

- The missionaries have to stay on MTC grounds except for when they go to the temple on their P-Day (“preparation day” is once a week, and they are supposed to use that day to contact their families, get caught up on laundry, etc). They are bussed to the temple about an hour away, and that’s all they really get to see of Mexico City outside of the MTC walls.

- It has rained a lot while Nicky has been there. He loves the weather, though. The temps are mild, it’s not super humid, and the rain is always exciting. Nicky’s friend Jasmine is from Mexico, and she told me the smell of the rain there is unbeatable. Nicky agrees.

Tanner, Jackson (who just arrived at the MTC), Nicky, Jasmine, Jasmine (yes, TWO Jasmines in a row!), and Jada 

- Some of the missionaries in Nicky’s district are not going to the same mission. There is one going to South Dakota and one going to Argentina (or is it Chile? There are a lot of missionaries going to Argentina and Chile). I can’t remember where else, but I didn’t know it worked like that, so that has been interesting to me.

- Nicky had to do an assessment for his Spanish this week, and the instructors said “We like to see everyone score at least a 4.6 (I think that’s out of ten - ten obviously being very fluent). Nicky got a five point something (5.3?) so he’s really happy about that. There is no penalty or reward for your score, it’s just to give you an idea of how you’re doing. Nicky has been working really hard to get the language. He really wants to master Spanish, so he and his companion put in a lot of extra time studying and practicing. In the blessing the stake president gave Nicky when he set him apart, he promised that Nicky would have the gift of tongues if he would study and be obedient. When Nicky was in theatre, I had a distinct impression that the skills he was developing for memorization and recitation were blessing him with abilities that would help him learn a foreign language someday. Now I’m seeing it happen, and it’s really cool! Of course, when he gets to Puerto Rico, that will all change and he’ll be thinking “This is NOT the language I learned in the MTC!” But I think he’ll catch on quickly. 

I have to say, having a missionary is a surreal experience. It’s been really fun. I acknowledge that I’m able to chill a bit as a mom because Nicky is thriving. It would be a different story if he was out there having major struggles. He’s had moments, but overall, he’s loving it, and that brings my heart such joy and gives me a feeling of ease. It won’t all be easy, but so far, he’s doing well, and he’s been able to navigate the hard days. He has such a light about him, and I hope that stays with him throughout his life. 

Wake Time Writings

A writing prompt from my middle of the night wake time:

Dream lineup for a music festival:

Elvis, Maroon 5, Alan Jackson, Rascal Flatts, Michael Jackson, Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton, Pitbull, Pink, The Chicks, Benson Boone, and the Muppets. Each gets 3-5 songs predetermined by me.

Movie or TV show finales you'd definitely change:

Titanic and Lost

How you met your significant other:

Church

Road trip snacks:

Diet Dr Pepper with pebble ice (though I'm currently soda sober), chocolate Twizzlers, some kind of gummies, Pringles, Thanksgiving dinner (no lie), fruit, Dots honey mustard pretzels, and the list goes on to include many things from candy to pot roast.

Useful gadgets you've been using:

I've been using a food chopper a lot, and I hate cleaning it, but I love the tiny, uniform, square veggies that come from it. 

An interesting job you'd love to try:

Mortician. I don't think I could do it, but I want to see what it's like because I'm captivated by the fact that there are people who choose this career. 

Would you rather know the future or change the past?

Change the past.

Memorable TV shows from your youth:

Home Improvement, Boy Meets World, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Family Matters, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Simpsons, Animaniacs... 

Technological advances you've seen in your lifetime:

Pagers, cordless phones, answering machines, caller ID, internet, social media, streaming, WiFi, cell phones, self check-out, online shopping, AI... where does it end?

Memorable fashion trends:

Overalls with a strap undone, low-rise jeans, wide-leg jeans that drag on the ground, boyfriend sweaters, baby doll tees that say "WHATEVER," knee highs with plaid skirts (thank you, Clueless), Old Navy fleece (ooo it's fine), wearing a long cami under everything, wearing boxers over yoga pants to dance class (this is for real), stirrup pants with slouch socks, and space buns with visors. 

I am forever waiting for these 

bangs to make a comeback

5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Five puzzles we’ve finished recently:

Four things we’ve done the past few weeks:

Video chats with Nicky

DI shopping

Went to Logan for a day

Cleaned out our stuffed animals

Three things I’ve watched this week:

Two men from my family climbing in the dryer:

Scotty on his mission in 2000

Nicky on his mission in 2025

(Nicky did not know Scotty climbed in the dryer on his mission)

One creature we found in our house: